BONITA SPRINGS - The residents of Manna Christian whose homes cannot be made to meet Lee County codes can never go home again.

County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to hold the oft-flooded park to the same code standards as the rest of the county. That means every unpermitted addition will have to go and every unit that can't meet code cannot be lived in.

"The difficult part here is to recognize we need to say ‘no' to putting people back in unsafe trailers," Commissioner Tammy Hall said. "That's not the answer."

Chairman Ray Judah said he wants to make sure county officials stay involved in telling residents what they need to do and how they can get help.

"The reality is these trailers are not going to meet code," he said.

In fact, county officials had adopted a zero-tolerance policy after the floods of 1995, but abandoned the policy when Manna Christian residents flooded the commission chambers.

"I don't want a repeat of what we did in ‘95," Commissioner Bob Janes said. "That's no answer. We've got to bite the bullet and address the serious problem."

Code enforcement director Bob Stewart said he can't tell how many units might pass inspection until each one is examined.

"We're going to have look unit by unit," he said.

Manna Christian resident Esther Garcia said her family built a bedroom addition to its trailer three years ago. It's nearly as large as the trailer itself, and it stores clothes and other family items, she said.

Even if the addition were removed, her family would have to find a way to stay in Manna Christian, said Garcia, 40.

They don't have the money to move elsewhere, and she doesn't want to return to Mexico and give up her citizenship case, which she recently began.

The trailer, a home of 11 years for the family, also carries memories.

"The kids say, ‘Hey mommy, we grew up here. Why do we have to leave?" Garcia said through a Red Cross translator.

Although one of her daughters has a Social Security number, the mother of three said she won't allow her to apply for federal aid, for fear of what could happen to undocumented members of the family.

That's a common fear in the shelter, Garcia said.

"They don't know what they're going to do with their (Social Security) numbers," she said. "Maybe they call (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement)."

If kicked out of the park, Garcia said, "we will be looking for an apartment we can afford."

But that could be difficult without federal aid, and with only one member of the family bringing in a regular paycheck.

Garcia's husband, Jose, works construction in Miami.

City officials have said they will stand with commissioners despite the fact the park is located east of the Bonita Springs city limits.

"You're going to get the city council's unwavering support," Mayor Ben Nelson said. "We hope that you decide that the people who can go back can go back. Units with substantial damage or illegal additions shouldn't be allowed back in."

The land was zoned in the late 1970s for a transient RV park so no addition could be legally permitted. The zoning category also allows only stays of six months or less.

Commissioners unanimously approved enforcing the existing zoning category and codes. They also discussed possibly buying the property, and agreed to ask for an appraisal of the land.

"I'm frankly not certain the only alternative to us is to buy the property," Commissioner Frank Mann said. "The fact is it floods, and it's flooded a number of times. It's used for a use that never should have been permitted. It might be that the owner needs to find another use for the property that contemplates it flooding every three years."

Mariann Kircher, the lead shelter manager at Estero Community Park where 476 people are calling home, said her staff would announce the commissioners' decision on Tuesday evening, as everyone returned to the shelter for dinner.

She said she will reassure flood victims "that our shelter will continue to operate as long as it's needed."